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Topic: Greek Orthodox Church (Read 15051 times)

Hi there!I have been going to services at a Greek Orthodox Church, and besides liking it, I also am happy it is a very active church in the community, they offer courses and study groups, etc....My feet are a bit tired from standing from Orthos through to the end, but I imagine that takes some time to get used to------

I was just wondering what people's experiences have been in the Greek Orthodox Church, if they don't have any Greek Heritage at all. I probably seem stuck on this ethnic subject. Is it like what are you doing here, if you aren't Greek? Not rude like that, but do people even care? I am going because of other reasons, and I don't know if my not being one ounce of Greek matters or not. :dunno:

I'm trying to think of ways to say this without offending anyone on this forum.

Granted, I've only been to a limited number of Greek Churches (I'm sure they probably vary from parish to parish), but the one word that comes to mind is "dead". I think the Antiochian and Eastern European varieties have much more sincerity and livelihood.

Once again, for anyone who goes to a lively and sincere Greek church (which would obviously be one I have not been to), correct my false assumption.

I have never had anything but excellent experiences in Greek Orthodox parishes--whether Archdiocese parishes or Old Calendarist Greek parishes. The people have always been nice and if the community is mostly Greek, they are usually quite satisfied that a "gringo" like me takes an interest.

I don't like that in many areas where there is a need for English there are parishes that are still all-Greek, but on the other hand, in many areas there are still large numbers of first and second generation immigrants for whom the ability to have liturgy iin Greek is a necessity, really.

The parish I often went to in Raleigh, NC, is full of converts, having what I believe is the optimum mix: 50/50 cradle/convert and is quite active.

Now, there are Greek parishes that are dead as there are parishes of all jurisdicitons that are dead. Maybe the Greek Archdiocese has more of those parishes proportionally? I don't know. Or maybe the fact that they are the largest also means they have the greatest chance at being "dead"? After all, a small parish with close-knit convert families is usually close--but sometimes too close!

Let me bring up an example. There is another parish I know where all the people are converts and it is like going into a cult environment. Everyone acts the same, dresses the same, has the same attitudes, etc. It is scary and you feel just as much of an outsider there. Our esteemed Administrator Robert, who I am sure agrees with me on this one parish, when he used to be a Byzantine/Greek Catholic visited and when asked what he was said, "Byzantine Catholic" they replied, "ACK! UNIATE!" and left his presence! This really happened!

Also, you might be surprised at how some of the Antiochian parishes are in the Midwest--note how I said SOME though, everyone! I went to one that had an organ and no one even sang "Lord have mercy." I thought I was in a theatre.

Anyway, I think all jurisdictions have this problem and the solution is to be able to maintain the cultural tradition of Orthodoxy (which is shared by all Orthodox of all national churches--to figure out what exactly I mean, visit a variety of ethnic parishes and notice what they all have in common) and while keeping that, appeal to Americans and converts. Keep the flow of fresh blood coming in, while not forgetting the roots. It's hard but it can be done.

I must say, our Greek brothers and sisters were quite kind to us during our church's hardship here in South Florida. St. Mark's Greek Orthodox Church of Boca Raton allowed us to use their facilities during a period in which our church building was rendered unusable by a fire. Ironic how the Greek church was named after St. Mark (our church St. Mary). Thank God, and His servant Fr. James of the Greek Orthodox for his kindness.

I've had mixed experiences with Greeks in NY. I visited a local GOA parish several times, but the only time anyone was welcoming was because he was the husband of someone I knew online, and once he started to talk to me, others welcomed me. It was like my visit was "seconded" by a member, and so I was deemed OK. Even the priest didn't have much to say other than "Good morning, thanks for coming" while giving me antidoron. When I was at school upstate, the local Greek parish was much the same. The only reason anyone talked to me was because I knew them from online (a member of the site goes to that parish, and he's a convert), or because I was with someone who knew someone in the parish.

The last time I was at St. Irene's (the stavropeghial EP monastery in Astoria), Met. Paisios yelled at me in Greek. They were blessing water for the feast outside in a big font, and afterwards, he wanted the font moved off to the side, so he enlisted the help of some Greek guys, and me. All instructions were given in Greek, with no English at all. I figured it wouldn't be so bad, I would just follow everyone else's lead. So I moved it in the direction the others were moving it, and he stops them, and looks me dead in the eye and yells in my direction, in Greek, presumably for not moving it where he said, in Greek, to move it. Finally, "we" got it right, but I was annoyed. Then some lady made me pour holy water in my hair (I thought if I didn't, she'd get offended, like their holy water wasn't good enough for me), and I was dripping throughout Great Vespers. What a weird day.

On the other hand, my experiences at St. Markella's, the Matthewite church in Astoria, and the GOC monastery in upstate NY have been without incident and even very positive. They made me feel welcome, even though they regarded me as a heretic.

I don't mention jurisdictions to make one look worse than the other, but only for factual purposes (a lot of these same things could be said about Indians). All were Greeks, but their way of dealing with non-Greeks seemed different. I suppose if the individual parish has the right attitude (as some of the Greek parishes of people on this site seem to have), it will be just as welcoming as any other parish.

One thing is certain: when you're at their festival, EVERYONE is welcoming.

The last time I was at St. Irene's (the stavropeghial EP monastery in Astoria), Met. Paisios yelled at me in Greek.

Yeah, getting "re-ordained"* by the EP when you are already an Orthodox bishop will do that to you

Anastasios

*(What's funny is if you actually look at the May 1998 issue of The Voice of Orthodoxy they repeatedly use the term "re"ordination over and over again; it's like it's lost on them that you can only get ordained once!)

My experience with the Greek Church (ie. ethnically Greek parishes) is very limited. Limited to one weekend, as a matter of fact. I visited a GOA monastery in Ohio, and they were hospitable. There was some discernable tension, but that was not directly because of a non-Greek's (my) presence. Actually, the one monk was quite open in talking about Greek and Greek-American culture (as it existed in the past few generations) and how it differs from American culture, and how Greeks from older generations sometimes have difficulties adapting to their children becoming more Americanized. This was something of a, shall we say, less traditional monastery. At one point, an icon had to be delivered to a, shall we say, more traditional GOA monastery, and I was invited to go along with the monk who was going to deliver it. This second monastery was also hospitable, and so far from feeling any bad vibes, my own actions probably caused some discomfort for at least one monk*.

The GOA Church I attended on Sunday, on the other hand, was a different story. The Abbot of the (first) monastery I was visiting was also the priest at a local parish. So, this was obviously the parish I attended for Liturgy. I got quite a few looks from people, sort of like a "You know you're not Greek, right?" type of look, hehe. The fact that much of the service was in Greek didn't help matters I guess. I was so uncomfortable that I ended up leaving even before communion was given, using the fact that I had a 4 hour drive home as an excuse (in my own mind).

* There was a monk who was sent to make sure I was ok, and to greet me (a second time). He introduced himself as "Father so and so," and not wanting to do anything wrong, I asked for his blessing. He said he was "Father," after all! He half blessed me, and then sort of awkwardly tried to excuse himself, saying that he really shouldn't be giving blessings. I don't know if I was more embarrassed or he was.

At this point i feel it may not be for me since I'm not Greek. I'm sure they would be welcoming, and very kind, but the bottom line is I'm not Greek. At this stage anyway, imo, they would be wondering why would you come here if you aren't Greek? I could probably just make up my mind to get steeped in the culture, learn the language, participate, etc...on the other hand, it also seems like the way is birthright, and I will never be Greek, so maybe it's not where I'm meant to be.

The service was beautiful, and I am glad that we can walk into a service like we did, and feel God's presence. I'm not Orthodox yet, but feel it anyway.

I would only say that if you are comfortable there and made to feel welcome at the Greek Church, then stick with it. Don't base your opinion about the Greek Church based upon other's experiences, be they negative or not. The faith is the same whether the church is Antiochian, Ukrainian, Greek or OCA, etc.

Try visiting some other Orthodox churches in your area (if they are others) and check them out before you make your final decision - you may just find another church that is a "better fit" or find that it's best for you to stay where you're at. In the meantime, pray and ask for God's guidance.

I, too, have had mixed experiences with Greek parishes. I used to worship at a Greek church in Reading (southern England) and I generally found the people there to be warm and welcoming. They did seem inordinately proud of their non-Greek converts (me and the deacon) and truly welcomed me into the community, helping me out as much as they could with things like the language (the liturgy was mostly in Greek).

But (there's always a but), they did also tend to put local Greek customs ahead of the Orthodox faith in a way that I've never seen happen in the Romanian church I converted into. For instance, in Romania it is very common for a child to be baptised with a double name say, Traian-Ioan (Trajan-John), where only one of the names is a saint's name. My wife and I wanted to baptise our son William-Stefan (William's a family name on my side - though as Wilhelm) but the priest refused point blank to use William because Greeks only baptise with saints' names. That annoyed the whole family including my son's godmother who's also Romanian. I've actually found out since that there's a pre-Schism St. William anyway and the Russian priest who told me of him said that he'd heard this sort of story many times, so I don't think it was an isolated case.

I also have to say that it did grate on me that he always called me Iacobos when I received the Eucharist - my name is James, which surely is perfectly adequate when said in English?

I hope you have better experiences of the Greek church than I had. Neither I nor my wife would worship regularly at one after our experiences in Reading as we just got sick of the blatant Hellenism. I realise that this sort of ethnic parochialism is not true of every Greek parish, but once bitten twice shy as they say.

James

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We owe greater gratitude to those who humble us, wrong us, and douse us with venom, than to those who nurse us with honour and sweet words, or feed us with tasty food and confections, for bile is the best medicine for our soul. - Elder Paisios of Mount Athos

I had similar hesitations at first, for reasons already mentioned by some.

Holy Archangels' Monastery--the Athonite monastery under the GOAA in Kendalia, TX--changed that. Yeah, the entire thing (and I mean EVERY...THING) was in Greek, so I tried to follow as best I could. But it was heavenly.

Also, St. John Prodromos Church in Amarillo...very nice; though I guess you could attribute that to the fact that it's got a convert priest/presbytera, several converts in an already VERY small parish.

I think James hit the nail on the head----do Greek Customs surface more often, whereby the convert, afterawhile, may feel a bit out of place? Not that it is done intentionally, but you just have that reminder deep inside.

I think its awesome to be taught by others their languages, cultures, etc...but since that is not my heritage, I was just curious if it can become a bit too much afterawhile, and the Orthodoxy becomes less. Not to the Greeks, (i"m not picking on them, please!!! I think they are wonderful!), but to the convert.

I don't think that it's Greek customs themselves that made me uncomfortable - some of them were, in fact, very nice and even comforting - it was the refusal to accept other, perfectly Orthodox, national customs as equally valid to their own and seeming to emphasise their Greekness over their Orthodoxy.

My own ethnic background is not Romanian (I'm German/Czech) and, as I wasn't brought up Orthodox, I didn't have any customs that clashed with those of the Romanian church. That's fine and, in your case I'd imagine you'd be in a similar postion with the Greek church. The problem I found was that I picked up local customs (understandably) from the Romanian church only to find that they were looked down on by the Greeks. I know from my godmother (who's Romanian but married a Greek Cypriot) that she's experienced similar problems whilst her husband has not been treated in a corresponding manner in Romania.

I'm sure that not all Greek parishes are like this and I'm sure you could also find similar ethnic ghettos in some other immigrant groups, so it would probably be best just to look for a parish (in whichever jurisdiction) where you feel comfortable. I wish you all the best and hope your experience of the Greek church is better than mine.

James

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We owe greater gratitude to those who humble us, wrong us, and douse us with venom, than to those who nurse us with honour and sweet words, or feed us with tasty food and confections, for bile is the best medicine for our soul. - Elder Paisios of Mount Athos

I started going to the Greek Church in my area because my biology teacher (who was Greek) went there and suggested it to my dad at a conference and I went with him one time and then I started going on my own (he doesn't like church). I like it, though it is an ethnic church (almost everyone is Greek) I was able to meet some old Arabic people from our area, some of the only ones which was nice. And they are very welcoming. They don't seem to care (if they did they don't say anything) that I am not Greek. A lto of the people are younger and very helpful to aiding me in learning more about the faith and the church.

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At any rate, I do not believe that there is a man in the USA who accepts to live in illusion who says that peace will be recognized between the Arabs and Israel even if the occupation of the occupied Arab territories does not come to an end.The late

Greek churches are just like any other. In all jurisdictions you have ethnic and "American" parishes. There are friendly people and people that will litterally insult you for not being Greek. I would particularly recomend visiting a Greek monastery in the United States as they genuniely carry the ancient spirit of Christian monasticism IME. http://stanthonysmonastery.org/Map.htm

Also I would like to add that it would be beneficial for any convert to be immersed in the Tradition of the Greek Church. The State Church of Greece has had a wealth of monastic elders and spiritual fathers in recent times.

This book is a good sampling of their spirituality and teachings: Precious Vessels of the Holy Sprirt by Andrew Middleton.

Anything by or about Fr. Philotheos, Fr. Porphyrios, Elder Joseph the Hesychast, Elder Ephraim (the one in America), Elder Ephraim of Katounakia, Elder Paisos or Metr. Hierotheos Vlachos is very beneficial reading for the soul.

I absolutely love my GO church here..the Greek community has been in this city a very long time but i dont feel too much an outsider, I may not understand greek duing the casual conversation, but that is ok, i'll pick it up. There are plenty of people who married in or converted for whatever reason, so it isn't like i am the only non-Greek. Everyone has been so welcoming, out new priest is fantastic, he gagues the composition of the congregation and adjusts his greek to english ratio accordingly. (our old one did too) I just love it. To me it isn't any different learning Hebrew and hearing Yiddish when my parents took me to Shul on a regular basis. Anyway, i have to agree that you are gong to find "dead" congregations mno mater where you go, or what denomination. Keep searching, you may have to drive, but it could be worth it if you find a great place to go.

~Aureliaps, not a drop of Greek that i know of, but then you never know! Nothing after the 1100's anyway, on the one side.

That's very encouraging, Aurelia. I have an appt. in a week or two with the Priest at the GO. I am new to Orthodoxy, and wanted to get some feedback about the ethnic churches. I plan on asking the GO Priest the same questions asked here, but also didn't want to feel uncomfortable doing so. There is a fine line sometimes where inquiry could possibly become insult, although that was never the intention.

I have enjoyed reading all the posts, and welcome any more responses about one's experiences!! It has been a great help.

Hi,Sorry to respond so late to your post. My wife and I are recent converts to OC and we are members of a local Greek Othodox parish. One of the reasons we are Othodox is because of Father Pat, our Priest. He was very patient with us and never failed to answer our questions and most certainly never pushed Greek ethinicity on us. I am of Irish background and my wife is German -Polish. Sure we will never be Greek, but that's not why we became Orthodox.

The Devine Liturgy in Greek still stirs my soul-I have never had such an experience.

I found your post very encouraging. Passed the last two Sundays without going, and now I feel more encouraged to go this next Sunday.

I really think someday this won't be an issue, 'will look back on it and wonder why it was, but for now, it is still new, and very different. So, am determined now to give it a chance (since that is where I believe in my heart I want to be).

For instance, in Romania it is very common for a child to be baptised with a double name say, Traian-Ioan (Trajan-John), where only one of the names is a saint's name. My wife and I wanted to baptise our son William-Stefan (William's a family name on my side - though as Wilhelm) but the priest refused point blank to use William because Greeks only baptise with saints' names. That annoyed the whole family including my son's godmother who's also Romanian.

While this may have appeared to be a "Greek" custom, it is actually universal in nature. I recall listening to a sermon by Elder Cleopa of Sihastria, in which he castigates his fellow Romanians for baptizing with the "double name," since, as he says, we have only one name -- and that is our Christian name. Do we receive Holy Communion with a pagan name (he asks)? And so forth...you get the point. He also scolds the people for thinking that there are two (or more!) nash, since, as he says, the Church has always taught that there is only one sponsor of the marriage (who may happen to be married). Other prominent Romanian priests have told me likewise, e.g. Fr. Roman Braga and Elder Sofian.

St Nikodemos makes all of these points in his commentaries on the relevant canons, which confirm this tradition as an important point of liturgical practice (both in terms of proper order and theology).

It is true that Greeks can be sticklers for the customs of the Great Church or the State Church of Greece, but that is not always an indication of phyletism or an outright condemnation of theologically legitimate customs in other Churches, since there are often good theological reasons to follow one's own customs and Typikon closely -- not to mention it is the responsibility of the priest to do so, since such is his Bishop's mandate.

« Last Edit: April 07, 2005, 12:23:06 AM by pensateomnia »

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But for I am a man not textueel I wol noght telle of textes neuer a deel. (Chaucer, The Manciple's Tale, 1.131)

Can't tell you how many people in church seem puzzled that I am interested in becoming a member of the Greek Orthodox Church, and I don't have: 1) Greek heritage 2) am not converting due to marriage

So, as much as you all might say, just go if you want,.....I am getting a bit down about it. My reason for wanting to go is because I believe in the Orthodox Church. People seemed a little surprised that is the main reason or something.

Try another Orthodox jurisdiction that is not so narrow minded and ethnic orientated. In order to be Orthodox one does not have to be Greek.

I'm a so called 'cradle Orthodox' and have experienced what you mention when I first left home and went to college. Was thrilled because there was a Greek Orthodox Church two blocks from my dorm. To me, my church was within walking distance. But apparently not. In those days there was another Orthodox Church on the other side of the city that celebrated Christmas on the 'old calendar'. During the times I went to the Greek Church which was about four months, only two persons spoke to me. One asked me if I was Greek and turned her back when I said no. The other spoke to me in Greek and when I replied I only understood English shook his head and left even though I heard him speak English to others.

I went to the 'other church' for old calendar Christmas'. When I went to the Greek Church the next Sunday I was greeted by one of my professors who also went to the church with - "What are YOU doing here?" I thought to myself 'What a dumb question' but replied - "I'm going to Church." The reply I got was "Oh I thought you found your Church!" With tears in my eyes I replied "Well, until this moment I thought I had!" And walked out. Not only did I never return to that parish but I left the Orthodox Church for 17 years. Until one day God directed to a small English speaking parish where I was greeted with "Good morning! Welcome to our parish. Are you Orthodox or familiar with Orthodoxy? If not, I will be glad to answer any questions." With that I knew I had found a home and it wasn't within the GOA!

There are many English speaking parishes in the various jurisdictions. Find one and then you will begin to experience what true Orthodoxy is!

Orthodoc

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Oh Lord, Save thy people and bless thine inheritance.Grant victory to the Orthodox Christians over their adversaries.And by virtue of thy Cross preserve thy habitation.

Try another Orthodox jurisdiction that is not so narrow minded and ethnic orientated. In order to be Orthodox one does not have to be Greek.

I am sorry that you had a bad experience in a GOA parish, and I am assuming that it is this experience that has made you as bitter as you are towards both the Greeks and against the Oecumenical Throne. However, even in light of your unfortunate experience, I find your open proselytism for your concept of Orthodox, which in your last post was to the extent of trying to denigrate the Church of the Oecumenical Throne inorder to pull away those who faithfully attend her parishes, to be shameful and unchristian. If you want to debate the importance of Greek Culture or American Culture that is one thing, this attempt at proselytism is another (not to mention, I believe there's something in the fourm's rules that I saw somewhere that addressed this). I am certain that a few supporting words would be more helpful than your political ideology to all concerned.

« Last Edit: April 11, 2005, 12:36:49 AM by greekischristian »

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"The liberties of people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them." -- Patrick Henry

Irene,As a convert in the GOA, I can understand where you are coming from. There were at times when I found the Culture a bit overwhelming, and there are still places that I can go where I will be ignored because I'm neither Greek nor do I speak Greek (not yet anyway). And yes, the question of why would a non-Greek want to be Greek Orthodox has been presented to me on numerous occasions, usually out of genuine curiosity.

Something that must be remembered about the GOA is that when the Greeks first came to this Country they suffered more religious persecution than most groups who came early in the 20th century, the Klan, amongst other organizations, was in full force terrorizing Greek immigrants and even lynching Greek Clergy. Thus there there was a move to Americanize the Greek Immigrants, and this would even extend to the Church, which is where many of the modern Anglicanizations came from. With this tendency to become more 'American' came a natural surprise that any American would want to embrace the Religion of the Greeks. Moreover, the fact that the Church was an integral part of their Culture and Identity is what kept many of these immigrants in the Church, though at the same time they came to regard it as something particular to their culture, making the concept of an American joining the Greek Church even stranger.

With this said, though there are a few exceptions, I have found that the Greeks have no problems with converts; provided, of course, that you show appropriate respect to their culture and heritage and do not try and undermine their customs or threaten their identity. This puzzlement of some members of the Parish as to why you want to become Orthodox, if properly discussed, could be edifying both to both of you. You can speak of the rich gems of the Orthodox Church and the great blessing that it is, hopefully giving the other person a new insight and level of appreciation for the Church they had attended since birth, and they can give you insights into Orthodoxy that cannot be learned in books. But dont give up, keep talking to people and strive to make friends, try to get involved in the Parish life and activities, not only in Catechesis classes but also in things like Philoptohos and the Greek Festival. Embrace the parish life and continue to participate in the liturgical life of the Church, and from someone who has been there I can tell you that things will get easier and more comfortable with time.

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"The liberties of people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them." -- Patrick Henry

But dont give up, keep talking to people and strive to make friends, try to get involved in the Parish life and activities, not only in Catechesis classes but also in things like Philoptohos and the Greek Festival. Embrace the parish life and continue to participate in the liturgical life of the Church, and from someone who has been there I can tell you that things will get easier and more comfortable with time.

While this line can sound corney (go to the Greek Festival) and has been derided by many as the only foot that many Greek parishes put out into society (i.e. they are never known for their philanthropy, etc, just their baklava)... But I do know someone whose conversion began with a Greek festival! I know this is few an far between, but he went to the festival, decided to poke his head in the Church while there, and thus the ball got rolling; now he is a seminary graduate living with his wife in Australia.

I just wanted to point out that random and irrelevant story, because in my attention-deficit brain it just came up.

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"O Cross of Christ, all-holy, thrice-blessed, and life-giving, instrument of the mystical rites of Zion, the holy Altar for the service of our Great Archpriest, the blessing - the weapon - the strength of priests, our pride, our consolation, the light in our hearts, our mind, and our steps"Met. Meletios of Nikopolis & Preveza, from his ordination.

...I am assuming that it is this experience that has made you as bitter as you are towards both the Greeks and against the Oecumenical Throne.

You remember what they said in school when you 'assume'?

I'm of pretty much the same viewpoint of Orthodoc, but am probably a decade or more younger, have not had (at least as a) bad experience like him, but somewhat understand his feelings as well. In case you haven't notice, most of us who have this 'denigrating attitude' as you call it (that's definitely an exaggeration anyway) have this attitude do to the politics the current EP is playing. Open your mind (and more importantly your heart) a little.

irene,Don't give up on that parish, but at the same time, visit other Orthodox parishes in your area if it is feasible.

While this line can sound corney (go to the Greek Festival) and has been derided by many as the only foot that many Greek parishes put out into society (i.e. they are never known for their philanthropy, etc, just their baklava)... But I do know someone whose conversion began with a Greek festival!

It's not so random and irrelevant. My (OCA) parish has a food festival every year called....Glendi! (The greek word for party.) We hire a band that plays 'Balkan folk music' (how they advertise themselves). We have Gyro, Greek style Lamb and Rice, Eritrean, Russian (Borscht & Piroshki), Middle-Eastern (meat pies, falafel, etc.) and Serbian (Sarma, potato salad, green beans) booths as well as bear and wine. We have a bakery with all kinds of baked goods (a woman who is half-lebanese bakes around 30+ pans of Baklava every year) from many countries. We also have church tours by the iconographer, who studied under Ouspensky and is frescoeing our church, with many based on an old Monastery in Turkey. We probably average a convert a year or just from the food festival.

I would also like to say this to be fair to Greeks... I hope they know I'm not "picking" on them. I have a lot of respect for their culture/heritage. No one has been impolite, or disrespectful because I am not Greek. It is just a question that made me feel a bit out of place, and that is something I have to work on.

Am hoping I don't give up. Knowing of other's experiences helps at this time, thanks for the encouragement. No one else in the church, at this time, is in the same boat, so I walk in asking God to give me the courage to do so. It's much easier to just turn around in the parking lot, but by doing so, I may miss what God has in store.

I respect the Greek Orthodox Church greatly. I've learned enough Greek to even sing in their choir on occassion and I can recite the Creed and the Lord's Prayer in Greek. But I really understand the negative experience people have had with some Greek Orthodox. I think it varies from parish to parish. Some are very welcoming of everyone. Others treat you like you are a goy in the synagogue if you aren't Greek. I have been in the OCA for the past 10 years. My parish, while it has a mixture of people for various backgrounds, and has all its services in English, has strong Russian roots. You can ever hear people at coffee hour speaking Russian sometimes. Yet the very first time I set foot in the door (when I wasn't even Orthodox yet), I was welcomed with love, affection, genuine interest, and in many cases, three Slavic style kisses on the cheek. No one has ever made me feel inadequate or unwelcome because I'm not Russian. Yet, 10 years before I ever visited the OCA parish, I visited the Greek Orthodox Church in town. I had read a LOT about Orthodoxy, and I met with the priest. I was ready to convert or at least become a catechumen. And guess what? This Greek Orthodox priest was nearly scandalized that I wanted to become Orthodox! Yes, sad but true. He kept telling me, "I don't understand why you want to become Orthodox. This is a GREEK Church. You are Lutheran. That's German." I persisted and told him that I was unfulfilled in the Lutheran Church, that it was too Protestant, that I wanted a Church that celebrated the Eucharist every Sunday, that maintained that the Virgin Mary was Theotokos and Ever Virgin. I thought I gave him some SOLID reasons for wanting to become Orthodox. I mentioned reading books by Kallistos Ware and being so impressed by them. I also remind this priest that Bishop Kallistos was a convert too. It was all to no avail. The priest told me "There are people here who would be upset by your presence. This is a GREEK church. You have to realize that. I don't want my people to accuse me of taking people in off the street. I'm not saying you can't come in, but I think it would be much better for you if you went back to your Lutheran Church and tried to find spiritual fulfillment there." So I did. I went back to the Lutheran Church, stayed 10 more years, and got even more fed up and disillusioned with it. Then the OCA opened a mission in my town. I attended. The priest himself was a former Lutheran. He welcomed me with open arms and all the Russians kissed me. I was home.

What proseltism might that be? This person is longing for the Orthodox faith and is being treated as an outsider in a GOC. To tell her to go to another Orthodox Church that will accept her in a better christian manner and not discriminate against her becuse of her DNA is not proseltyzing, its common sense and good advice.

And don't assume anything. My previous story may be part of the reason I am critical but it isn't the only one. Ever hear of "By their deeds they may be known'? That's how I feel about the EP.

In response to my psots both here and elsewhere, I get many private emails. And 99% of them are for advice. Two years ago I got one from a man who was raised a Roman Catholic. In fact he became a Roman Catholic deacon. After Vatican II he became disatisfied with the RCC and after studying Orthodoxy decided to convert. Which he did in a GOC. After 4 years in that parish his treatment was so bad he returned to the RCC and he was miserable. He felt he lost everything because when he converted he lost his wife and his kids refuse to speak to him. But he still longed for Holy Orthodoxy.

Why, I don't know from hearing some of the horror stories he told me. He said that after 4 years in the parish he was still referred to as that Roman Catholic. Once when he tried to start an outreach program to the poor he was told that there are no poor Greeks. And, as for the poor non Greeks, let the Protestants and Roman Catholics take care of them! I'm not making this up! His question to me was that I obviouly love my Orthodox Catholic faith but I portray it so different than what he had experienced. He wanted my assurrance that the Orthodoxy I speak of did exist and asked where could he find it.

My honest reply was to look in a non Greek Orthodox parish (same as I'm saying here). I asked his location and found a small OCA parish in the Bulgarian Diocese reasonably close to him and put him in contact with the priest. He had since remarried a widow with children but felt guilty the marrage wasn't blessed in the church. I put him in touch with the OCA priest and they began to meet. His wife was from a fundamentalist background and was not to keen on the 'Orthodox' bit but began to go to church with him. Both were amazed by the love, warmth, and greeting they received.

So, after two years of study he was received back into the Orthodox faith and his wife baptized into the Orthodox faith (against her family's wishes) on western Easter weekend! Their marriage was also blessed and they are very happy and very much a part of the parish which gave them a Lenten dinner celebration after the service.His wife has three boys 8,11, and 13. They have now told her they also want to become Orthodox! That's whati its like to be Orthodox my friend!

In remembrance of the occassion I sent his wife a small Russian Pysanty locket with a Guardian Angel on the front and a 3 bar cross on the back. And reminded her that upon her baptism she received her own Guardian Angel which will be with her forever! I told her of the slavic tradition that some of the women observe in my own parish by wearing their minature pysanky from Pascha to Pentecost and suggested she do the same.

To the man I sent a lapel pin with a 3 bar cross and a U.S. flag joined together. I told him that it should remind him that he is now an Orthodox American. He is not an American Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Bulgarian Orthodox, etc. He is an Orthodox American because God always comes first in everything we do and say. This is something many of our Orthodox people (including non Greeks) have yet to learn.

=========

Here is how he describes the day -

The day was fantastic!!!!

We arrived about 20 minutes before Liturgy. S----- (now Sophia) was of course beautiful in her new dress. Fr D. called the evening before to remind her not to wear panty hose. I asked him if it were all right for me to wear them and he laughed. But to continue...at about 3 min until the beginning, she was swept away by her God Mother, (NONA in greek, what is it in Slavonic?) and the ending prayer of the Acceptence into the Catachumens was were he began, leading her into the front of the church by her holding his stole. (This is the first adult baptism in memory for this parish) Fr. did the prayers, the annointings, baptism, Chrismation, Absolutions and Tonsure. I had given S----- tissues before it began, she said she wouldn't need them but i insisted...as things progressed, she shed more tears then water was poured. Cameras popping everywhere. Afterwards, of course the Liturgy continued,,,oh, by the way, she was given a white baptismal garment to wear, it was my white alb i had used in the Roman Church, i then donated it to the church to be used for any further adult baptisms....When it was time for Holy Communion, her godmother once again took charge, pushing aside the unwary infants who were used to receiving first and stormed the Chalice, showing her (Sophia) the way....Sophia said she didnt know if she could swallow it she was so emotional. Then I received for the first time in the Holy Orthodox Church since 1998. How humbling and awesome it was.After Liturgy, we went down stairs for a catered meal of meatless Rigatoni, salads, pies, (Wine) there was a i think serbian wine that was very good, i had but a sip as i do not normally drink anything. The entire parish came forward to congratulate Sophia (and me) and as i had told her, she would be one of the family and she was astounded. She got a great Ikon of St. Sophia and we got an Ikon of the Marriage of Cana because as i had forgotten to include, our marriage was blessed.

There are pictures and once Sophia gets them off the camera i will send them on. On a bit of a sad note, the choir director and his wife had been up to visit her mother near St. Tikhons the day before, Father had wanted them back for the Baptism, which they were, and yesterday morning she was told her mother had died that morning. But when talking to her, she said what a blessing it was for them that they had gotten to visit with her and she had died on a sunday morning and then witnessed and chanted at a baptism,,,now that is faith and a good example of True Orthodox belief in the resurrection for my wife.....

On Friday, i took Sophia to C------- just to get away for a day or so since she works 7 days a week, many days for 12 hours, (they had closed for Western Easter) we dropped into a little Russian store i had always wanted to visit and everything was in russian (duh) but we bought a wonderful cake called Izba do you know this delight? we didnt know what was in it, i fear it is not Lenten but i tasted it....it was wonderful. we will return and get some for our Pascha basket.

After the Liturgy, we drove to Sophia's parents house for Easter and their only comment was..."How did your little thing go?" O' if they only knew how not little it was and is.....

Probably much more to tell, but i have taxed your attention enough. Again, my many thanks and couldnt think of anyone i would rather have shared this part of the journey with than you.....God love you....

G---===========Orthodoc

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Oh Lord, Save thy people and bless thine inheritance.Grant victory to the Orthodox Christians over their adversaries.And by virtue of thy Cross preserve thy habitation.

I've had IDENTICAL bigoted experiences in not one, not two, but THREE (out of four) Slavic parishes in the past three years here. I don't complain as those here bigoted against Greeks do. You guys are doing the devil's work. You can't see your own sins in your zeal to point out those of others.

I've always believed there is no such thing as a stupid question, if it is sincere. I think these boards can be very helpful esp. when people have experienced things way ahead of another. And, their experience is asked for.....

Some have had positive, some negative experiences in various areas. IMO, the replies haven't had the intention of prostylizing.

I think the replies are there to help a person work through what they are asking. If the intent is wrong, it is found out sooner or later anyway.

When my wife and I first went to an Orthodox Church service, it was in the GOA. After the service several parishioners with convert spouses came up to meet us and asked us if we were Russian (my blond wife was definitely not Greek). When I said no, we were inquirors they got the priest, when we told him that we were interested in becoming Orthodox, His answer truely surprised us,

He said :"Why on earth would you want to become Orthodox, you are not Greek!"

While this took us back quite a bit, we did continue to study in the Orthodox Church and became the first of many converts that he had taught and brought into the Orthodox Church. He had been a priest for several years and was about 50 when we met him---he had never had a couple convert, the only converts he had ever seen werwe people who had married into the Orthodox Church. Despite the shocking response he gave to our initial quirey, he was a true catichist and taught the faith well. We remember him fondly.

I find it interesting, the stories of priests being shocked at one's conversion into "Greek" Orthodoxy. It is deeply related to a subject that I was talking about with a friend and schoolmate who is about to graduate. He is from Greece (came here in his teens) and would like to be sent to a parish with many Greeks because, as he said, "I get them." During the course of the conversation we spoke about how we've had (in the GOA) a couple of generations of priests who basically went out into the parishes with the idea of only maintaining what was already there - an unfortunate attitude (when it comes to receiving converts to Orthodoxy), and one which is becoming incresingly problematic (because the kids are leaving - so they're not doing their jobs). We were saying how that kind of attitude served its purpose once upon a time - but has no place now in the Church.

Unfortunately, there are still priests who think that way, and I can say that there are students here (in the distinct minority, thankfully) who still think that way. I think it was brought up earlier - Greeks can be very clan-ish; we are even rude to people from other parts of our own country. (There are islands where if you are from one end you are considered "cultured," but if you're from the other end you are a hillbilly - and the island is only 10-15 miles long!) This is changing in different areas of the country, thankfully; take my beloved hometown, for example: we have 4 GOA parishes in Cleveland; only one is stereotypically "Ethnic" (i.e. Greek in the liturgy, speaks Greek most of the time, and is somewhat inhospitable to visitors); the other three have all become more inviting, open, etc. (If you're ever on the East side of town, stop by Sts. Constantine and Helen!)

Thats all for now - its time to go see the bishop off to the airport.

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"O Cross of Christ, all-holy, thrice-blessed, and life-giving, instrument of the mystical rites of Zion, the holy Altar for the service of our Great Archpriest, the blessing - the weapon - the strength of priests, our pride, our consolation, the light in our hearts, our mind, and our steps"Met. Meletios of Nikopolis & Preveza, from his ordination.

How do you know that there isn't some truth in what he is saying - that maybe these "cradles" don't really have faith? Is it really that inconceivable to admit that there are "ethnics" in any jurisdiction that view their church as a culture club and not the Church? The bottom line is this: there is absolutely no excuse for any of this cultural elitism/phyletism/whatever. If these problems happen in any of these parishes, the priest and even the bishop need to be told! Of course, for the potential convert, they wouldn't know to do this, so that's why the mentality of the parish needs to be changed.

I've had IDENTICAL bigoted experiences in not one, not two, but THREE (out of four) Slavic parishes in the past three years here. I don't complain as those here bigoted against Greeks do. You guys are doing the devil's work. You can't see your own sins in your zeal to point out those of others.

Sick.

Then talk to the priest or even the bishop there. It should be completely unacceptable ANYWHERE.

Of course, greekischristian, there are those who would rather argue...Yesterday in our ACROD parish we had a "Patriarchal Pence" offering preceeded by a long letter from Met. Nicholas which was augmented by our parish priest. The blessings of the Ecumenical Partiarch wre extolled. We were reminded that it was from Constantinolpe that the "Little Russians" received Christianity well before "Big Russia" and that it was again the mother Church that received the Carpatho-Russians back from the unia - received WITHOUT condition. No requirements to change anything - liturgical language, liturgical form, music, ethnic traditions, even the calendar. The various Latinizations introduced over the 300 year unia and which had become a part of the Ruthenian traditions (and there are many) were left alone. How outrageous for those egotistical Greeks! They actually chose to receive their brethern with Love.

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"Religion is a neurobiological illness and Orthodoxy is its cure." - Fr. John S. Romanides

Unfortunately, there are still priests who think that way, and I can say that there are students here (in the distinct minority, thankfully) who still think that way. I think it was brought up earlier - Greeks can be very clan-ish; we are even rude to people from other parts of our own country. (There are islands where if you are from one end you are considered "cultured," but if you're from the other end you are a hillbilly - and the island is only 10-15 miles long!) This is changing in different areas of the country, thankfully; take my beloved hometown, for example: we have 4 GOA parishes in Cleveland; only one is stereotypically "Ethnic" (i.e. Greek in the liturgy, speaks Greek most of the time, and is somewhat inhospitable to visitors); the other three have all become more inviting, open, etc. (If you're ever on the East side of town, stop by Sts. Constantine and Helen!)

Thats all for now - its time to go see the bishop off to the airport.

There is a Sts. C & H parish (GOA) somewhat near me that I visited last summer. Nice parish. I got a couple of those "are you Greek?" questions, but otherwise they were nice and welcoming.

Also, maybe it hasn't occured to you that: 1) Maybe it is more of a problem in the GOA as opposed to other jurisdictions 2) again, you are assuming something out of Orthodoc that is not there 3) Since the GOA is the largest jurisdiction population-wise, it is more likely to be known and 4) maybe it is more of a problem per capita as well, so that the GOA really does have the most to change.

<mod hat>Folks, let's cut out the "devil's work" comments, as NOBODY really has any room to talk about who's doing what, sinners that we all are.

If we can't at least go about this without the emotional terms like "narrow-minded" and references to EP politics on one side and "bitterness, bigotry, egotistical (used sarcastically, but still)" on the other--and we may not be able to do this without the emotion, I know, as this hits close to home for many Greek members of the forum--then I'm going to lock this, at least until Pascha, since Lent (of all times) is perhaps not the best time to discuss all this.

I'll give it a bit of time, but let's allow for some humility on both sides: many folks have had problems that shouldn't be ignored, but the grass is seldom TOO much greener...

Another thing that is contributing to the rapid degradation of these topics is the fact that we have already discussed them in length, so rather than re-hashing our old debates we decide to just go straight to the emotional argument that these conversations often degrade to, and just re-hash those. I have been trying not to bring these issues up for that reason; however, when someone attacks the Greek Orthodox Church or Oecumenical Throne, I will come to the defence of my Church and Patriarch.

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"The liberties of people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them." -- Patrick Henry

Another thing that is contributing to the rapid degradation of these topics is the fact that we have already discussed them in length, so rather than re-hashing our old debates we decide to just go straight to the emotional argument that these conversations often degrade to, and just re-hash those. I have been trying not to bring these issues up for that reason; however, when someone attacks the Greek Orthodox Church or Oecumenical Throne, I will come to the defence of my Church and Patriarch.

It's all this guy's fault.

Seriously, no need to be super defensive. Part of improving the Church on the homefront is being willing to be critical of ourselves, the job our hierarchs are doing and other things. Anyway, g'night y'all.

Seriously, no need to be super defensive. Part of improving the Church on the homefront is being willing to be critical of ourselves, the job our hierarchs are doing and other things. Anyway, g'night y'all.

When the "ourselves" above turns into "themselves" as in this thread, there is no improvement anywhere.

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"Religion is a neurobiological illness and Orthodoxy is its cure." - Fr. John S. Romanides

Part of improving the Church on the homefront is being willing to be critical of ourselves, the job our hierarchs are doing and other things.

I would agree with some stipulations. Obviously we need to be careful of "being critical" - critical thinking about the problems of our Church is a good thing; criticizing with no move to improve the situation, and no hope of improving it, is just speculative and sinful (I'm not saying that this is what we are doing....). The biggest thing we can do on our level is to design and implement plans for the future that address particular issues in the same Holy Spirit that has been present in the Church since its founding. When we find faults in our hierarchs (because we do not believe in infallible bishops) we need to then be careful and vocal about the men that will be elected or considered in the future; and we also need to make sure that, when we raise our own kids with a heart to serve the Church, they will not have the negative traits that we might observe in the leadership right now.

While blame is always ready to be shot about (and in the GOA the hierarchs need to wear flak-jackets), we also need to be mindful of the role that we as individuals, and as a Laity in general, play in this divine drama. Many of your outspoken (and rich) members of the GOA think we must (at all costs) be Autocephalous; we would have been a lot closer if their parents hadn't nearly split the Church over Greek political matters in the 1920's. The Church was actually nearly Autonomous then; but when Patriarch +ATHENAGORAS saw that our freedom was going to be a part of our downfall, the charters were revised, and in the end the Church was saved.

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"O Cross of Christ, all-holy, thrice-blessed, and life-giving, instrument of the mystical rites of Zion, the holy Altar for the service of our Great Archpriest, the blessing - the weapon - the strength of priests, our pride, our consolation, the light in our hearts, our mind, and our steps"Met. Meletios of Nikopolis & Preveza, from his ordination.

I was just wondering how people dealt with the question: Are you.....?

In the RCC, no one ever asked me about my heritage. Now, it is asked. I was sure the question would be more like, why are you interested in becoming Orthodox? So, it just made me wonder a bit, that's all.

I was just wondering how people dealt with the question: Are you.....?

In the RCC, no one ever asked me about my heritage. Now, it is asked. I was sure the question would be more like, why are you interested in becoming Orthodox? So, it just made me wonder a bit, that's all.

This thread has definitely taken a turn, sorry for that!

Irene

Generally I'll just respond, 'No, I'm just Greek Orthodox' or soemthng along those lines...if they want you to elaborate, they will ask, if not, oh well. Of course, if I'm asked in Greek I'll generally restirct my response to '-ÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â®-ÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â§+Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â¦' or '+Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â¦+Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â¦++ +Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â¦+Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â»+++Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â¦+Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â¦,' short and to the point, lest I get drawn into a conversation in a langauge I neither speak nor understand

« Last Edit: April 12, 2005, 03:18:22 PM by greekischristian »

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"The liberties of people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them." -- Patrick Henry

When people ask me if I'm Greek, I'll just say 'no' and look right back at them. The questioner will often begin with a different question, and as has been pointed out previously, it actually is a great opportunity to witness in a completely safe environment.

So, this inocuous(sp?---I'd like a spell checker on this board just like another member has asked!) question could actually be a way for the questioner to learn why others want to enter the church, as well as an opportunity for you to articulate what your faith means to you. It's a win/win situation given to us by God!

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"As the sparrow flees from a hawk, so the man seeking humility flees from an argument". St John Climacus

Coming from the perspective of one who has been Orthodox since 6 months old, I have on a few occasions used the question "Are you Greek" in a situation where I know they are not just to lead them into the question of "how did you come to the Church," but through a different method than normal - I know it is easier and more direct just to ask the "how did you...", but sometimes it gets boring (that, and I do like to hear about the interesting ethnic mixes people have - me myself, I am 75% Greek and 25% German, and the German part of the family has been in this country for at least 150 years, if not more).

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"O Cross of Christ, all-holy, thrice-blessed, and life-giving, instrument of the mystical rites of Zion, the holy Altar for the service of our Great Archpriest, the blessing - the weapon - the strength of priests, our pride, our consolation, the light in our hearts, our mind, and our steps"Met. Meletios of Nikopolis & Preveza, from his ordination.

UNRELATED ADDENDUM: I didn't even realize when I made my post that it was going to cause the interesting visual effect of having three posts by three different posters - all with the same avatar, consecutively.

Go Holy Cross!

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"O Cross of Christ, all-holy, thrice-blessed, and life-giving, instrument of the mystical rites of Zion, the holy Altar for the service of our Great Archpriest, the blessing - the weapon - the strength of priests, our pride, our consolation, the light in our hearts, our mind, and our steps"Met. Meletios of Nikopolis & Preveza, from his ordination.

I was just wondering how people dealt with the question: Are you.....?

I would reply with "Are you American?" and if they say "what does that have to do with it?" Then I would reply with "Exactly" or "And what does being Greek have to do with being Orthodox?, Were the Disciples Greek? Was St. Paul Greek?"

As a Greek who has studied partly in Germany and is living in Spain, I have found out there are many kinds of Greeks, something I did not know when I was growing up in Greece!

Greek immigrants who left more than thirty years ago tend to be tightly knit communities (a bit too ghetto-like for my taste). If you go to their church, of course they will ask you why you want to join! It should not be taken as an insult. For these guys their church is the one of the last parts of their "greekness" and they really wonder what are your motives when you want to join... I even think, that them not trying to convert people all the time, is a good sign. It means they are not looking for customers but only try to practise their religion...

Naturally they will tend to forget that Greek does not equal orthodox (as I am not practising for example in the last 10 years) and orthodox does not equal Greek.

You can always choose a chruch where you feel best, but please do not make the mistake of confusing the Greeks, or their church with what you see in some strange communities far from home which seem to be stuck in the past (if there ever was such a past).

The Greek Orthodox Chruch IN Greece at least has enough non-Greeks (mainly from the Balkans and the former SU I guess) and is quite open. It is still not "commericalised" in the style of the organised converting of hapless strangers where other churches excel, but again for me that is not its biggest fault. I dont think a church should be expansionistic, just spiritual and whoever wants can join...

My reasons for not liking this church have to do with other things which are common in most churches (what kind of christian doesn-Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â¦t accept his fellow humans as priests or anything as they are, be their gay, green, with three legs or with antennae? Who can tell me that sex in any way, as long as nobody-Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â¦s rights are violated, can be immoral? etc)

I know people are curious, but i do get tired of "how did you come to the orthodox church" Makes me want to say, "well, i put a bunch of names in a hat..." But mostly these days it is from people that have returned to the area after an absence or job change. I DO get "you look Greek" a lot though, which doesn't bother me at all. I also get "OH! I've heard of you, you have the five kids that were baptised...(though it was only 4)" I know it is unusual...but sometimes i feel that we're under a microscope. I'm just glad there are a lot of converts in my church, so I'm not seen as a total freak, just a curiosity.

I'm trying to think of ways to say this without offending anyone on this forum.

Granted, I've only been to a limited number of Greek Churches (I'm sure they probably vary from parish to parish), but the one word that comes to mind is "dead". I think the Antiochian and Eastern European varieties have much more sincerity and livelihood.

Once again, for anyone who goes to a lively and sincere Greek church (which would obviously be one I have not been to), correct my false assumption.

Hello

My own feelings are somewhat similar to the poster in the above quote. I've attended three different Greek churches down through the years and sadly found all (in widely divergent areas of the country) to be ethnically closed to those who are not Greek. In fact, the usher at the last Greek church asked our name while greeting us in the narthex and when I responded he said, "But you're not Greek."

We've made our home in an OCA church after a move and having spent many years in the Antiochian Church. The same degree of unwelcome that we had felt in the Greek Church has not been our experience in the other two jurisdictions.

I've attended three different Greek churches down through the years and sadly found all (in widely divergent areas of the country) to be ethnically closed to those who are not Greek.

Sorry that's been your experience. Actually, since moving to Ft. Worth, I've had the pleasure of having my own, initially bad, experiences changed. The Greek parishes here in the metroplex are very welcoming, and the monastery in Kendalia (all Greek and Athonite) is a very friendly, peaceful place.

Keep an open mind; there are most definitely parishes in all jurisdictions that are closed and dying, as well as those which are open-minded and alive.

I've constantly heard about how closed and ethnic the GOA is, but I have yet to personally encounter it. Holy Archangels Monastery in Kendalia is absolutely the most welcoming place on Earth. Our local OCF chapter is sponsored mostly by the Greek parish but is incredibly open to the three of us from the OCA parish. Parishioners also tend to visit back and forth (and with the Antiochian parish) as well. I know that's not the case everywhere, but I'd like to think the xenophobic parishes are the much-publicized exception, rather than the rule.

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Artillery adds dignity to what would otherwise be a vulgar brawl. ~Frederick the Great

I've constantly heard about how closed and ethnic the GOA is, but I have yet to personally encounter it.ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€š Holy Archangels Monastery in Kendalia is absolutely the most welcoming place on Earth.ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€š Our local OCF chapter is sponsored mostly by the Greek parish but is incredibly open to the three of us from the OCA parish.ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€š Parishioners also tend to visit back and forth (and with the Antiochian parish) as well.ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€š I know that's not the case everywhere, but I'd like to think the xenophobic parishes are the much-publicized exception, rather than the rule.

Ditto, but then I'm often more outgoing, not let myself get offended easily, and am quick to politely correct if they make some erroneous assumptions. I've definitely felt the strong ethnic "vibe", but that's it.

I actually am getting tired of having to post how welcome I have felt in all the various Greek parishes I have lived in, served in, or visited over the years. It is good to know that I am not the only perosn on the planet to experience this...

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"As the sparrow flees from a hawk, so the man seeking humility flees from an argument". St John Climacus

I hope there isn't an implication n the latest post that I'm somehow not "outgoing" and "do let myself get offended easily." Our mileage may vary, Bro. I'm sure you weren't implying that I was somehow negligent and therefore not as kindly received as was your experience. It just seemed to come across in that manner. Peace.

After having attended the GOC regularly (and still do), and become involved in activities, ministries, this is my opinion at this point in time.

The GOC Parish I attend has been welcoming, the Priest (s) is very warm and welcoming, and I think would feel discouraged if inquirers stayed away because they weren't Greek. BUT....with all that said.... I have felt the difference though, that I am not Greek, and everyone else is. But, I think that comes from within, too, and it's something I can work on. As far as converts, 'haven't met any yet. If there are converts, I'm guessing it's marriage-related.

I think situations like this, can be a place of growth in ways you didn't expect, too. Then again, if you find yourself thinking about it more than Orthodoxy, it might be better to go somewhere else and see if it all goes into the background where it should be.

It's helpful to have converts in your parish, that's for sure. Someone needs to be the first, though!

I tend to think of myself as just Orthodox, not necessarily adding any particular nationality to it. Mostly I go to the Orthodox Church that is nearest to my home (can't afford petrol to go to any other Orthodox Church!). I think the key is to do what one can and not try to be some nationality that one isn't. I am rather adaptable and have learned enough of the languages used in the liturgy in various places so that I can understand what's going on.

20 years ago I made an extended visit to Greece and found it a magnificent place--I spent several months in a women's monastery where I was royally treated and made to feel so at home that I wanted to stay. However, they made their living by writing icons, and I have no artistic talent at all, so even if it had been possible to stay, I'd have been a burden on them. They said, "Oh, that would be all right! You could help Sr. "X" clip the incense!" But that would not have been right--and besides, I distracted the attention of the villagers who came to the Divine Liturgy on Sundays--they were all wanting to "see the American". I shall always remember that place, though, and I wish I could still remember all the Greek they so patiently taught me, and all the kindness they showed to me while I was there.

I have decided to try to "become as a little child" and go to the Greek School in my parish. I really need to learn some conversational Greek. University Greek is not the same thing. I am slowly learning the differences in pronunciation between University Greek and Conversational Greek--it's easy to get them mixed up. When I was in Greece, the nuns used to find my pronunciation when I read very amusing. I was touched, though, by their infinite patience, and was glad that my "funny" sounding Greek brought them a smile!